Work Text:
Louis Moriarty tried his best to avoid the topic of soulmates whenever he could.
The topic did not come up often thankfully, due to his tendency to stay at his family’s estate. His brothers and companions rarely talked about the red string tied around their hands, as they were more focused on their missions.
He really only came across the topic when he would venture into London in order to get supplies.
But when he did encounter it, he could not escape.
It seemed as though every person who resided in London was only concerned with the red string wrapped around their fingers. He would overhear at least 3 conversations about soulmates every time he ventured into town.
People from all walks of life seemed obsessed with their soulmate. From giggling middle class schoolgirls to extravagant lords, daydreaming laborers to gossiping noble women, everyone seemed transfixed by that one small thread.
It disgusted him.
There were much more pressing matters to discuss in his mind. There was the crippling societal and economic disparity that plagued the British Isles and Empire. Or the issue of members of the Noble Class using those below them as nothing more than pawns in their sick games, with no care as to the ways they would maim, torment, or even kill them.
Yet, he rarely came across people talking about such things. Instead, he found himself surrounded by meaningless chatter about the mysterious person waiting for everyone at the end of their strings.
It didn’t help that many shops bought into the useless drivel. Bookstores regularly sold out of self-help novels promising to help readers find their soulmates quickly. Grocers and florists alike commonly found themselves out of stock of random products based on the latest newspaper article about potions that would help one find their soulmate, frequently leading to fruitless trips to these stores. It was nothing more than a giant headache in his opinion.
And yet, he was aware that he was in a rather ‘lucky’ position.
After all, he had already met his soulmate.
It had been a coincidence that had brought them together. He had ended up in the same orphanage as his soulmate after him and his brother had been caught in the abandoned library they had been living in.
It surprised him how much he remembered about his soulmate, even after the years that had passed.
The girl’s name had been Katelyn, but she insisted on being called Kate. She had auburn hair that she always wore in two braids, as well as the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen, even now.
Their meeting had been nothing extraordinary. The head nun had been introducing him and William to the other children, when Kate suddenly spoke up.
“Hey! Look!”
The young girl held out her hand, smiling brightly. There was a red string tied around her finger, which led to the string that was tied to Louis’ finger.
“Our strings connect!” The girl chirped.
For a moment, the room had been quiet. The nun and the other children around them looked at the two of them in stunned silence.
But within a few moments, everyone began speaking at once.
“No way!”
“Oh come on! How come you guys found your soulmates already?!”
“I hope my soulmate comes next!”
The nun had clasped her hands together joyfully. “What an unexpected blessing!!”
Even his brother had given into the cheer. After his initial surprise, William smiled at Louis.
“Congratulations Louis.”
For his part, he had been too stunned to speak. He simply looked between the string and the smiling girl before him in silence.
He knew what the string meant. It had been drilled into his head since he was old enough to speak.
And yet, he had no words to say.
To say that the meeting was anticlimactic was an understatement. There was no dramatic shift in his life. He did not suddenly develop affection for Kate.
It had just been a minor event on the day that he arrived at the orphanage.
He had only been at the orphanage for a few weeks before his hurried adoption by the Moriarty Family. While he had little emotion when it came to the adoption, he had found himself oddly saddened at the thought of leaving Kate behind.
However, the few memories he did have with Kate were actually quite pleasant. Whenever his brother was busy consulting the other members of the orphanage, as well as the nearby townsfolk, Kate had kept him company.
Most of the time, she would beg him to read her one of the books that had been donated to the orphanage. He could never bring himself to deny her request, so he would find himself reading to her under one of the trees on the orphanage property.
However, his favorite memories of Kate were of her singing to him.
On the days that his illness had flared up, leaving him bedridden, Kate would be there. To lift his spirits, Kate would sing any hymn or song that she could recall. If she couldn’t remember a line, she would ad lib to the best of her ability, even if it didn’t make sense.
He loved it.
Kate had quite the voice, especially for a child as young as her. Every note was beautifully sung, bringing a feeling of peace with them. It had been easy for him to drift off to the sound of her voice, as her song lessened the ache in his chest.
He remembered that it had been Kate’s dream to be an actress in the theater, despite her circumstances.
“Just you wait Louis!”
Kate grinned at him, her eyes shining.
“I’m going to be the lead actress for a theater company one day! No matter what!!”
He had admired Kate’s determination quite a bit at the time. She was deadset on her goal, even when the nun tried to give her more realistic job ideas.
Perhaps she had changed her mind in the many years since their last meeting.
But, a small part of him hoped that she had eventually pursued becoming an actress.
He had not been able to give her a proper goodbye, though. His adoption into the Moriarty Family had been so swift, he had no time to even write a goodbye note to her.
He suspected that this may have upset her. After all, he had not received any correspondence from Kate since he left, even though she most likely knew how to locate him.
He thought it was better that way.
His involvement with the criminal underworld made their relationship a bit more strained. He doubted she would be pleased to know that her soulmate had assisted and even participated in countless murders.
Not to mention, his work could potentially ruin any chance of her having a theater career in the future.
One day, when the Moriarty Plan would be put into action, all of his sins would be revealed.
And when that happened, no theater would dare to cast her in any part, in fear of her ties to him causing issues.
So, it was best for him to keep his distance from her.
It wasn’t too hard for him to do so. He was content with his life as it was, working with his family and companions to slowly bring change to the British Empire.
He wanted to focus solely on that goal. He had no need, nor room in his life for trifles such as soulmates.
Occasionally though, his brothers would bring up the topic of Kate, suggesting that he reconnect with her before it was too late.
But he declined the idea every time.
He was fine with how his life was now. He didn’t need a soulmate to be happy.
Nevertheless, once in a while, his mind would wander onto the topic of Kate. And on more than one occasion, he would scan new theater production announcements, trying to look for Kate’s name among the cast.
He knew the chances of seeing Kate again were slim. In fact, it had been so long, he doubted that either of them would even recognize the other if they met again. And it truly was better for them to stay apart.
Still, a small part of him childishly clung to the idea of their reunion.
Perhaps they could meet again in that glittering world William was working so hard to build. It would be a world here Kate could perform on the stage that she loved, without her social standing holding her back.
Perhaps they could be happy in such a world. A world where all they had to worry about was maintaining their relationship.
For now though, that world did not exist. And he would continue to find contentment in his day to day duties and work.
But, that didn’t stop him from humming her songs to himself when he found himself alone, making sure to alter the words in the right spots every time.